Crappie fishing has taken the spotlight from bass fishing at Clear Lake this week. While the bass fishing is good, there are more crappie fishermen out on the lake right now.
The good news is that for the crappie fishermen who are knowledgeable and can locate schools of fish, the fishing has been good. However, it”s still not a walk in the park for most of the fishermen.
A good example was on Wednesday when I fished at both Kono Tayee and Shag Rock. At Kono Tayee, there were 15 boats working a small area around the main dock. Of the 15 boats, only a few were catching fish. However, Rick Thompson of Oroville gave everyone a lesson on crappie fishing. He caught and released more than 50 crappie within a span of two hours. Of his crappie, at least 10 weighed in the 3-pound-plus range.
How did Thompson do it? He was using a white 1/16-ounce crappie jig and allowing it to sink to the bottom. He also was using an ultra-light spinning rod rigged with 4-pound test line. His retrieve consisted of a very slight shake of the tip of his rod and a steady retrieve. The crappie were biting very lightly and most of the time all you would feel is a slight tap or gentle pull.
Later in the day, Thompson went over to Shag Rock and repeated his expertise with the exception that the crappie were even larger. There is no question that this guy can catch crappie.
Crappie also are being found in other locations around the lake. However, it takes some searching to locate the schools. The trick is to look for bait balls and you will find crappie.
In comparison to two years ago the crappie numbers are way down. During the winter of 2004-05, most of the fishermen were catching and releasing more than 100 crappie per day. In fact, there even reports of several fishermen catching up to 500 crappie per day. An excellent day this year is when you can catch 30 or 40 fish. However, the size of the crappie has significantly increased and 2-pounders are common.
Many fishermen are claiming it”s only a matter of time before the state record for crappie is broken. The current record for white crappie is 4 pounds, 8 ounces and for black crappie it”s 4 pounds 1 ounce. To be certified as a new record the fish must be weighed on a state-certified scale (such as a supermarket scale) and be verified by a representative from the Department of Fish and Game. In other words, if you catch what you think may be a new record, be sure to follow all the rules or it won”t be certified.
In addition to the crappie, bluegill are being caught everywhere and some of them are huge as large as your hand. Red or meal worms have been the top bait.
Bass fishing good
Bass fishing remains good despite the dropping water temperature. Local guide Ross England said he has been catching 20 to 30 bass a day and some of his best fishing has been north of Lakeport. England said lipless crankbaits and shaking a plastic worm have been his most productive techniques.
The docks along the Nice-Lucerne shoreline also are starting to produce decent numbers of bass. In the south end of the lake, Konocti Harbor is kicking out good numbers of fish as is Luebow Point. The rockpiles near Rattlesnake Island also have been kicking out a few fish.
Other lakes
Upper Blue Lake isn”t scheduled to be stocked with trout until the week of Dec. 18. A few trout are being caught by trollers working the middle of the Lake but overall the fishing has been slow. Bass fishing is starting
To improve for fishermen drop-shotting 6-inch plastic worms along the shoreline that borders Highway 20.
The only news coming out of Indian Valley Reservoir is that it”s been bitter cold. There are a few trout being caught and the bass fishing has been good.
